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Diocese of Santa Rosa in California

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The Diocese of Santa Rosa in California (Latin: Diœcesis Sanctae Rosae in California) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The mother church is the Cathedral of Saint Eugene in Santa Rosa. The bishop is Robert Vasa.

Diocese of Santa Rosa
in California

Diœcesis Sanctae Rosae in California

Diócesis de Santa Rosa en California
Cathedral of St. Eugene
Coat of arms
Location
Country United States
TerritoryCounties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma, California
Ecclesiastical provinceSan Francisco
Statistics
Area30,331.35 km2 (11,711.00 sq mi)
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2023)
  • 955,245
  • 191,049 (20%)
Parishes40
Schools15
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJanuary 13, 1962
CathedralCathedral of Saint Eugene
Patron saintSt. Rose of Lima
Secular priests54
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
BishopRobert Francis Vasa
Metropolitan ArchbishopSalvatore Cordileone
Bishops emeritusDaniel Francis Walsh
Map
Website
srdiocese.org

Territory

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The Diocese of Santa Rosa in California comprises Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma Counties, all along the North Coast of California

History

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1700 to 1840

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During the 18th century, all of California was a Spanish colony, part of the province of Las Californias in the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1804, the Spanish split Las Californias into two provinces:

After the Mexican War of Independence ended in 1821, Spain ceded Alta California and Baja California to the new nation of Mexico. The first Catholic presence in the area was the establishment of the Mission San Francisco Solano in present-day Sonoma in 1823 by Jose Altamira.[1]

In 1828, a Native American woman was listening to Juan Amoros preaching to a group by a creek near present-day Santa Rosa, now part of Mexico. She stepped forward and asked to be baptized a Christian. Since it was the feast day of Rose of Lima, Amoros baptized her as Rosa and named the creek and its surrounding area as Santa Rosa. The Asistencia Santa Rosa de Lima was established there.[1]

The Mexican Government in 1833 announced plans to secularize all the missions in its territory, confiscating most of their vast land holdings. In response, the Mission San Francisco Solano in 1834 converted into a parish, with the missionaries being replaced by Mexican clergy.

1840 to 1850

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In 1840, Pope Gregory XVI set up the Diocese of California.[2] The new diocese included both Alta California and Baja California. Gregory XVI set the episcopal see at San Diego in Alta California. The first bishop of the new diocese was Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno. Moreno designated the Mission Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara as his pro-cathedral.

In 1848, Mexico ceded Alta California to the United States at the close of the Mexican–American War. The government of Mexico then complained to the Vatican about San Diego, now an American city, having jurisdiction over the Mexican parishes in Baja California.[2] In response, the Vatican in 1849 divided the Diocese of California:

  • Baja California became a Mexican jurisdiction
  • Alta California became the Diocese of Monterey. The Vatican moved the see city from San Diego to Monterey because it was move centrally located. The Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey became the cathedral of the new American diocese.[2]

1850 to 1900

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The Vatican in 1853 erected the Archdiocese of San Francisco, including the entire North Coast region.[3]Over the following decades, parishes were established in these communities:

1900 to 1987

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The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange in 1912 travelled from Missouri to Eureka to start a school. During the Spanish Influenza epidemic in 1918, they traveled all over the community helping the sick. Community leaders then asked them to open a hospital in the town. The religious sisters established St. Joseph Hospital in 1920. It is today Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka.[11]St. Patrick's was established as a mission church in Loleta in 1925.[12]

In 1950, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange collaborated with local civic leaders to open Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa. It is today Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.[13] The same order in 1958 established Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa. It is today Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center.[14]

Pope John XXIII erected the Diocese of Santa Rosa in California on February 21, 1962, with territory from the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Sacramento. He named Leo Maher of San Francisco as the first bishop of the new diocese.[15]During his seven-year tenure as bishop, Maher established seven parishes, one mission, three high schools, four elementary schools, and several rectories and convents.[16] He also elevated three missions to parish status and oversaw major renovations of four existing parish churches. Maher became bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in 1969.[15]

Auxiliary Bishop Mark Hurley from San Francisco was the second bishop of Santa Rosa, named by Pope Paul VI in 1969.[17] Hurley established terms of office for pastors and associate pastors, opened a low-income senior residence, and created the Priests' Retirement Fund, Project Hope, and the Apostolic Endowment Fund.[18] He founded the Centro Pastoral Hispano and re-dedicated Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Mission.[18] Hurley established two new parishes in his last five years as bishop, and ordained over a dozen priests and deacons in his last three years.[18] Hurley retired in 1986.

1987 to present

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Pope John Paul II named Auxiliary Bishop John Steinbock from the Diocese of Orange as the third bishop of Santa Rosa in 1987.[19] He became bishop of Fresno in 1991. To replace Steinbock, John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop George Ziemann of Los Angeles.[20] Ziemann submitted his resignation as bishop of Santa Rosa to the Vatican in 1999 after admitting a sexual relationship with a man and being sued by him.[21]

To replace Ziemann, John Paul II appointed Bishop Daniel F. Walsh of the Diocese of Las Vegas in 2000. In 2011, Bishop Robert F. Vasa from the Diocese of Baker was appointed as coadjutor bishop to assist Walsh.[22] When Walsh retired later that year, Vasa succeed him as bishop.

A massive wildfire in October 2017 partially destroyed Cardinal Newman High School and severely damaged Saint Rose Elementary School, both in Santa Rosa.[23] In July 2019, Oscar Diaz, pastor of Resurrection Parish in Santa Rosa, admitted to stealing $95,000 from the parish.[24] Although he was not prosecuted, the diocese permanently suspended Diaz from ministry.[25] In March 2023, after facing nearly 200 sex abuse lawsuits, the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[26][27]

The diocese in October 2025 put two properties for sale to bolter its finances in the wake of its bankruptcy declaration. The properties were mission churches that were not being used for masses.[28]As of 2026, Vasa is the current bishop of Santa Rosa.

Sex abuse

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Bishop Steinbock suspended youth minister Donald Kimball in 1990 after Kimball admitted to having sex with six minors. However, his actions did not become public until a 1997 lawsuit was filed against the diocese by four victims. He was laicized in 2000.[29]

In 1996, the priest Gary Timmons was convicted on charges of committing lewd or lascivious acts with children and sentenced to four years in prison. Ever since the 1960s, the diocese had transferred Timmons to new parishes and then a summer camp whenever charges of child sexual abuse had been reported.[30]

In 2019, Bishop Vasa published a list of 39 clergy connected with the diocese who had credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.[31]

Bishops

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Bishops of Santa Rosa in California

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  1. Leo Thomas Maher (1962–1969), appointed Bishop of San Diego
  2. Mark Joseph Hurley (1969–1986)
  3. John Thomas Steinbock (1987–1991), appointed Bishop of Fresno
  4. George Patrick Ziemann (1992–1999)
  5. Daniel Francis Walsh (2000–2011)
  6. Robert Francis Vasa (2011–present)

Coadjutor bishop

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Robert Francis Vasa (2010–2011)

Deaneries

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As of 2025, the Diocese of Santa Rosa includes 40 parishes and 22 mission churches served by 37 active diocesan priests and 12 religious priests.[32]It is divided into five deaneries.

Education

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As of 2023, the Diocese of Santa Rosa has a student enrollment exceeding 3,000.[33]

High schools

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As of 2025, the Diocese of Santa Rosa has the following Catholic high schools:

Health care

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As of 2025, the following Catholic hospitals are in the Diocese of Santa Rosa. They are all operated by Providence, a health care network:

Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 "History". Diocese of Santa Rosa. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  2. 1 2 3 "Monterey in California (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  3. ↑ "San Francisco (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  4. ↑ Grace, Jeff (2012-02-04). "St. Vincent de Paul Church, Petaluma". California Catholic Daily. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  5. 1 2 "St Joseph Catholic Church, Crescent City, CA - History". www.sjccc.net. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  6. ↑ "About". St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  7. ↑ "St. Teresa of Avila". St. Philip & St. Teresa Catholic Churches. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  8. ↑ "St. Anthony's of Mendocino Catholic Church". St. Anthony's of Mendocino Catholic Church. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  9. ↑ "Our Parish | St. Helena Catholic Church". Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  10. 1 2 "History of St. Joseph Catholic Church – St. Joseph Catholic Parish". Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  11. ↑ "History and Milestones". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  12. ↑ "About | St. Joseph's Parish". saintjoeparish.org. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  13. ↑ Taylor, Elizabeth (2025-04-07). "75 Years of Healing". Santa Rosa Foundation. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  14. ↑ "About Us". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2026-05-12.
  15. 1 2 "Bishop Leo Thomas Maher". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  16. ↑ "Most Reverend Leo T. Maher, First Bishop of Santa Rosa (1962-1969)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09 – via Web Archive.
  17. ↑ "Bishop Mark Joseph Hurley". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  18. 1 2 3 "Past Bishops of Santa Rosa". Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09 – via Web Archive.
  19. ↑ Cheney, David M. "Bishop John Thomas Steinbock [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
  20. ↑ "Bishop George Patrick Ziemann [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  21. ↑ "Sued by Priest, Bishop Resigns and Admits to Sexual Relationship". The New York Times. 1999-07-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  22. ↑ "Bishop Daniel Francis Walsh [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  23. ↑ "Bishop Vasa on California fires: 'Our diocese has been hit hard'". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  24. ↑ "Car crash reveals that Santa Rosa priest, Fr. Oscar Diaz, embezzled $95,000". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  25. ↑ "Sonoma County priest accused of embezzling $100,000 likely won't be prosecuted". ABC7 San Francisco. 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  26. ↑ "Diocese of Santa Rosa files for bankruptcy after nearly 200 sex abuse lawsuits". CBS News. March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Diocese of Santa Rosa files for bankruptcy today". KSRO. March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Bay Area Catholic Diocese sells 2 churches as bishop says it's running out of money". The Mercury News. 2025-10-27. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  29. ↑ "Donald Kimball, 62, Defrocked Priest in Sex Cases, Is Dead". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2006-09-16. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  30. ↑ Doyle, Anne Barrett (2021-05-26). "Decades-old clergy abuse cases inching through courts - BishopAccountability.org". KRCB 104.9, Northern California Public Media. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  31. ↑ CALLAHAN, MARY; SHERIDAN, LORNA (2019-01-15). "Two Sonoma Valley priests on diocese abuser list". Sonoma Index-Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  32. ↑ "Description and Statistics". Diocese of Santa Rosa. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  33. ↑ "Message From the Superintendent". Diocese of Santa Rosa. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  34. ↑ "History". Kolbe-Trinity School. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  35. ↑ "History | St. Bernard's Academy". Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  36. ↑ "Catholic Schools". Diocese of Santa Rosa. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  37. ↑ "Queen of the Valley". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  38. ↑ "Redwood Memorial". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  39. ↑ "Petaluma Valley Hospital". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  40. ↑ "Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  41. ↑ "St Joseph Hospital Eureka". www.providence.org. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
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